Access North Carolina
Autumn color rolling away below Rough Ridge on Grandfather Mountain, with a granite boulder in the foreground.The Mountains
The Lucky Strike water tower above the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.The Piedmont
A sandy track beside beach grass at the foot of the dunes.The sounds
The black-and-white bands of Bodie Island Lighthouse and its keepers' house under a clear sky.The Banks

North Carolina · from 6,684 feet to sea level

North Carolina falls from the highest summit in the East to a string of sand islands in the Atlantic

Photos: Bigmacthealmanac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · DiscoA340, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Myoder006, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Layered blue ridges seen from the Stoney Fork Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in October.

Three regions, one long slope to the sea

North Carolina is about 500 miles long and 150 wide, and it tilts: from summits near seven thousand feet in the west the land slopes east to sea level. Geographers split it into three regions, and so does this guide. The landmarks are grouped by them — the Mountains, the Piedmont and the Coast — and the eight cities are where most visitors actually sleep.

The Mountains are the Blue Ridge and, on the Tennessee line, the Great Smokies; the Blue Ridge Parkway runs along their crest and ends at Oconaluftee on the North Carolina side. The Piedmont in the middle holds the six largest cities and the two busiest airports, Charlotte Douglas and Raleigh–Durham. The Coastal Plain runs out to the sounds and the Outer Banks, a line of narrow barrier islands that the state ferries connect.

Interstate 40 is the only interstate that crosses the whole state, about 420 miles from the Tennessee line to Wilmington — which is why a trip here is a road trip, and why the calendar matters: leaf color moves down the mountains in autumn while the coast is still warm, and the hurricane season sits across late summer. Base yourself by region (where to stay) and eat by region too (eating and drinking).

A drawn map of North Carolina: the Mountains, the Piedmont and the Coast, the Outer Banks, the drive across the state and the landmarks numbered as in the index (a schematic, not to scale)THE MOUNTAINSTHE PIEDMONTTHE COASTVIRGINIATENNESSEESOUTH CAROLINAATLANTIC OCEANMount MitchellAshevilleWinston-SalemCharlotteDurhamRaleighNew BernBeaufortWilmington123456789101112131415161718192021
Sunset over range after range of mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A drive across the state, from Kuwohi down to Hatteras

  1. Cloud over a forested ridge at Newfound Gap, on the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
    1

    Oconaluftee, where the Parkway ends

    The drive starts in the Smokies on the North Carolina side, at Oconaluftee near Cherokee, where US 441 meets the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A paved road climbs from Newfound Gap to Kuwohi — the Cherokee name, official again since September 2024 — whose summit, the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, stands on the state line.

    Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
  2. The Blue Ridge Parkway curving along the mountainside near Grandfather Mountain in autumn.
    2

    North along the Parkway

    Mileposts count down as you go north: 469 here, zero in Virginia. The road's highest point is on Richland Balsam at milepost 431. The Parkway is not maintained in winter, and Hurricane Helene closed all of it in September 2024; sections reopened in stages, so check the road status before you set a route.

    Photo: Bigmacthealmanac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. The Grove Arcade building and the Battery Park Hotel above a downtown Asheville street.
    3

    Asheville

    The mountain city sits where the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers meet, with one of the country's fullest collections of Art Deco buildings downtown. Helene's floods on those two rivers devastated the city and its region in 2024; Biltmore, on its southern edge, reopened that November.

    Photo: chucka_nc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
  4. A wide view from the rocks of Grandfather Mountain across the valleys below.
    4

    Grandfather Mountain and the viaduct

    North again, the Parkway's last gap was closed in 1987 by the Linn Cove Viaduct, a 1,243-foot concrete bridge snaking around Grandfather Mountain so the road would not scar it. The mountain is the highest point on the Blue Ridge escarpment.

    Photo: Marshallhash89, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  5. The red clapboard Denke House on a street in Old Salem.
    5

    Down into the Piedmont: Old Salem

    Leave the mountains east and the land drops into the Piedmont. In Winston-Salem, Moravian settlers laid out Salem in 1766; its restored streets, the Salem Tavern and the Single Brothers' House are now a living-history district.

    Photo: Cbaile19, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
  6. The Gothic tower of Duke Chapel against a pink evening sky.
    6

    The Triangle

    Interstate 40 carries on to Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill — the Research Triangle, built around three universities. Duke Chapel, finished in 1935, stands on the highest ridge of its campus; Raleigh has been the capital since 1792.

    Photo: Discover Durham, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
  7. Looking up the red iron spiral stair inside the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
    7

    Out to the Banks

    East of the fall line the coastal plain runs flat to the sounds. Cross to the Outer Banks and NC 12 runs down the islands to Cape Hatteras, where the tallest lighthouse in the country watches the shoals called the Graveyard of the Atlantic — and the state ferry crosses on to Ocracoke.

    Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
ArrivingGetting HereCharlotte, Raleigh–Durham, Asheville or Wilmington: the airport you fly into decides your first week.The roadsDriving North CarolinaA car is the rule here. The distances, the Parkway's pace and the island road, honestly measured.The calendarWhen to ComeLeaf season in the mountains, beach season on the coast, and the storms between them.
State12th, November 21, 1789
CapitalRaleigh
Largest cityCharlotte
Population10,439,388 (2020 census)
Highest pointMount Mitchell, 6,684 ft
Lengthabout 500 miles, west to east
Dunes and beach grass behind a rope fence at Emerald Isle.

Everything in this guide

Downtown Asheville's towers against the mountains, seen from Beaucatcher Mountain.
Twenty-one placesLandmarksThe places worth the drive, grouped by the three regions they stand in.
The twin-towered Basilica of St. Lawrence seen from Haywood Street in Asheville.
Eight townsCitiesCompact guides to the cities you will sleep in, eat in and walk around.
The main terminal entrance of Wilmington International Airport under three flags.
ArrivingGetting HereWhich airport serves which corner of the state, the Amtrak lines, and the interstates in.
The Cherohala Skyway, NC 143, curving between bare trees.
The roadsDriving North CarolinaI-40, the Parkway, NC 12 and how long the state really is by car.
The approach lanes and terminal building of the Southport ferry.
On the waterFerries and the BanksThe state ferry routes to Ocracoke and across the sounds, and the boats to Cape Lookout.
Flower beds in bloom in front of Blowing Rock Town Hall.
Routes and loopsScenic DrivesThe Blue Ridge Parkway, the Outer Banks road and the loops that link them.
A boardwalk end and bicycles above the sand dunes at Wrightsville Beach.
The calendarWhen to ComeLeaf season, hurricane season, Parkway closures and the gap between mountain and coast.
Rows of sweet potato plants in a field in Nash County.
At the tableEating and DrinkingWhat North Carolina actually cooks, region by region.
Old dock pilings at sunset on the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington.
BasesWhere to StayWhich town to base yourself in for which part of the state.
A sculpture and trees in a small plaza on a summer evening in Asheville.
By number of daysRoad TripsOne ten-day trip from the mountains to the sea, and shorter trips cut from it.
A tidal inlet winding through marsh grass on the North Carolina coast.
StoriesThe JournalVisitor questions, answered from the sources.
The Wilmington Riverwalk at sunset, with the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge beyond.

The cities, west to east

The gear-shaped River Arts District sign beside a road in Asheville.
AshevilleAt the meeting of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, with a downtown of Art Deco.
Uptown Charlotte's towers above the trees and a steel sphere in Midtown Park.
CharlotteThe state's largest city and the nation's biggest banking center after New York.
The two tall R. J. Reynolds Tobacco smokestacks in downtown Winston-Salem.
Winston-SalemTwo towns joined in 1913: Moravian Salem and tobacco Winston.
A tall brick office building on West Main Street in Durham.
DurhamThe tobacco town that became a university city, home of the American Tobacco Company.
Daffodils in bloom in front of downtown Raleigh's skyline.
RaleighThe capital since 1792, named for the man who sponsored the Roanoke colony.
A lodge-style building and flagpole in Halyburton Park, Wilmington.
WilmingtonThe old port on the Cape Fear River, between the river and the ocean beaches.
The drawbridge at Union Point Park in New Bern, raised for a sailboat.
New BernFounded in 1710 by Swiss and Palatine settlers, the state's second-oldest colonial town.
A white two-story house with a double porch in Beaufort.
BeaufortThe third-oldest town in North Carolina, on the water facing the Cape Lookout banks.
The forest of Hatteras Island seen over the railing at the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
The forest of Hatteras Island seen over the railing at the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The whitewashed Ocracoke Light behind its white picket fence.
The whitewashed Ocracoke Light behind its white picket fence. Photo: Progress P, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse seen through sea oats and beach grass.
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse seen through sea oats and beach grass. Photo: Synnibang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pines and scrub on the edge of the sand at Jockey's Ridge.
Pines and scrub on the edge of the sand at Jockey's Ridge. Photo: Henrysz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The curving brick wall of Fort Macon above its grassy ditch.
The curving brick wall of Fort Macon above its grassy ditch. Photo: jjmusgrove, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The landmarks, from the mountains to the sea

The Mountains

The Blue Ridge, the Black Mountains and the North Carolina side of the Smokies

Wooden steps up to the observation platform at Mount Pisgah.
No. 1The Blue Ridge Parkway469 miles of mountain road; its mileposts end at 469 on the North Carolina side, at Oconaluftee.
The timber-framed Oconaluftee Visitor Center in October.
No. 2The Smokies, North Carolina sideOconaluftee, Mingus Mill and the road up to Kuwohi, whose summit sits on the state line.
The paved summit trail on Mount Mitchell between Fraser firs.
No. 3Mount MitchellAt 6,684 feet, the highest peak in mainland North America east of the Mississippi.
Forested ridges below the lookout rail near the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain.
No. 4Grandfather MountainThe highest peak on the Blue Ridge escarpment, circled by the Linn Cove Viaduct.
Linville Falls dropping into its rock-walled gorge.
No. 5Linville Falls and GorgeA river that steps down through a gorge and ends in a 45-foot drop.
The glass ceiling of the winter garden at Biltmore House.
No. 6BiltmoreThe largest privately owned house in the United States, built for George Vanderbilt near Asheville.
The arched Flowering Bridge over the river at Lake Lure.
No. 7Chimney RockA 315-foot gneiss monolith and a 404-foot waterfall above Hickory Nut Gorge.

The Piedmont

The rolling middle: Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle and the old tobacco and mill towns

The brick St. Philip's Moravian Church in Old Salem.
No. 8Old SalemThe Moravian town of 1766, kept as a living-history district inside Winston-Salem.
The quartzite cliffs of Big Pinnacle on Pilot Mountain.
No. 9Pilot MountainA lone quartzite knob, the remnant of the Sauratown Mountains, with Hanging Rock close by.
A small waterfall among rocks and ferns in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.
No. 10Duke ChapelCollegiate Gothic on the highest ridge of Duke's campus, 210 feet to the top of its tower.
The North Carolina State Capitol seen across the gardens of Union Square.
No. 11The State CapitolThe capitol that housed all of the state's government until 1888, on Union Square in Raleigh.
A tall brick smokestack standing in the grounds of the North Carolina Museum of Art's park.
No. 12North Carolina Museum of ArtGalleries in Raleigh and a 164-acre museum park, free to the permanent collection.

The Coast

The coastal plain, the sounds, the Outer Banks and the southern capes

A long path across the grass toward the Wright Brothers Memorial on Kill Devil Hill.
No. 13Wright Brothers National MemorialWhere the first controlled, sustained powered flight left the ground on December 17, 1903.
A dune and low shrubs at Jockey's Ridge State Park.
No. 14Jockey's RidgeThe tallest active sand dune system in the eastern United States, at Nags Head.
The seats and stage of the Waterside Theatre at Fort Raleigh.
No. 15Fort RaleighThe site of the Roanoke colonies of 1585 and 1587, and the Elizabethan Gardens beside it.
Hatteras Island and the Atlantic seen from the gallery of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
No. 16Cape HatterasThe tallest lighthouse in the United States, over the shoals called the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
The Ocracoke Light at the end of its boardwalk.
No. 17OcracokeAn island reached by ferry, with the oldest operating light station in North Carolina.
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse reflected in calm water at sunrise.
No. 18Cape LookoutThree undeveloped barrier islands, Shackleford's wild horses and the diamond-marked lighthouse.
Cannon on the ramparts above the casemates of Fort Macon.
No. 19Fort MaconA restored brick fort on Bogue Banks, besieged in the spring of 1862.
Tryon Palace seen through its open iron gates.
No. 20Tryon PalaceA faithful reconstruction of the colonial governor's house of 1770 in New Bern.
The big guns of a forward turret on the deck of the Battleship North Carolina.
No. 21Battleship North CarolinaBB-55, completed in April 1941, moored across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington.